Bernard Gabbott - Sunday, 20 February 2022
Keeping Up Appearances?
Scripture References: Matthew 15:1-20, Exodus 20:1-17, Isaiah 29:1-16
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CloseThe religious leaders of Jesus’ day are like characters in ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ - so focussed on getting goodness right that they will try anything. As they do, and as they confront Jesus, he reveals that they have missed the big picture of God’s commands and so, missed the deep issue of their hearts. Ticking the goodness box is no way to deal with a heart that is rotten, and a heart that desires God’s throne. And God has always been concerned about this matter—and his commands are inseparable from the issue of human hearts.
Scripture References: Matthew 15:1-20, Exodus 20:1-17, Isaiah 29:1-16
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What is greatness? In particular, what is greatness in the kingdom of God? That is the question addressed in the passage from Matthew today. Jesus is approached by two different groups. First, the family of Zebedee: James and John and their mother. Second, two blind men. Jesus asks both groups the same question “What do you want me to do for you?” What they request is quite revealing. And so is Jesus’ response to their requests. The Zebedees request position, status, reward for effort. The blind men request mercy, for their eyes to be open. Which request lines up with Jesus’ teaching previously? Which request do we tend to go to ourselves?
The Department of Home Affairs has an Australian Values Statement on its website. Visa applicants for residency/citizenship must sign this. And one of its key principles is that we are a ‘fair-go’ country. We would all agree with that. I suspect, too, that we would summarise our ‘fair go’ culture by stating that ‘you get what you deserve/what you work for’. In fact, many of us have established our relational, social and work ethics on this very principle. But is that what the ‘kingdom of heaven is like’? What is its value statement? What is the hallmark of such a kingdom, and its ruler, even its citizenship? Today, after Jesus has assured his disciples that the dependent will be provided for by their king, he now uses the same ideas to issue with them a warning not to abuse, misuse, ignore or become entitled in the face of the kingdom of heaven hallmark—which is grace.
Jesus deals with the question of ‘Who belongs in the kingdom?’ Is it children? Is it the good? Is it the godly? And, how and what does this look like? This question of ‘belonging’ is one that is constant in our lives – where do I belong, do I belong, what does belonging look like? And Jesus is very clear: the kingdom of heaven is made up of the dependent, the reliant, the weak – just like children.
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